


Meet the Boogeyman

by FriendvilleFan



Category: American Girl Dolls - All Media Types, American Girls: Samantha - Various Authors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:20:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24814462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FriendvilleFan/pseuds/FriendvilleFan
Summary: Samantha and Nellie do everything together and are perfectly happy too. Until Nellie decides to branch out and do something by herself and winds up running into danger. Can Samantha single handily defeat the Boogeyman in order to save her friend?





	Meet the Boogeyman

The Park, Town Common PFV MA 2008   
Once upon a time, Nellie wanted an adventure without her best friend Samantha. Don’t get her wrong, Nellie loved Samantha, but they always did every little thing together all the time and Nellie just wanted a little time on her own to have a magical adventure. Besides, if Samantha went on an adventure it was guaranteed that several other sisters might tag along. Nellie for once in her life wanted branch out and do something without the entire family breathing down her neck.   
Every third Saturday of the month, Samantha and Nellie had a day off from taking care of Bitty Baby because Jessica and Jackie toted the babies around on their errands. The Bitties hated it and tried to cause as much mischief as they possibly could. One time while they were at the bank, Bitty Q and Bitty F managed to cut a hole in the safe with one of Logan’s lasers. They crawled inside and rolled around in piles of money for hours before someone finally found them. Another time at the pharmacy the babies crawled behind the counter and ate every pill imaginable. The day ended with a long and agonizing visit to the emergency room, a horrible day Samantha and Nellie will never forget. It seemed to be part of an elaborate game to the Babies for they seemed to ask themselves before each grand adventure, how much grief can we cause Samantha and Nellie? Best of all, the babies loved going to The Club House, Jackie and Jessica’s outdoor restaurant that was famous for their mud cookies. The possibilities for mischief at The Club House were endless. All the Playroom kids loved hanging out at The Club House although Jackie and Jessica didn’t always like having to put up with them there while they were trying to serve their customers the finest mud products in the world. Samantha and Nellie, however, loved it when the rest of the family took a day and spent it at The Club House because it meant they were finally free to do whatever they wanted.   
Samantha and Nellie used the time off to go to the park. When in doubt, everyone goes to the park. Samantha rode her old fashioned bike that got more than a few stares from strangers. With its three wheels, the bike looked more like a big tricycle than anything else. That was simply the style back in the 1890s when bikes were brand new. It was her Uncle Gard’s old bike and a gift from Grandmary. One of the many perks of coming from a different time period is that you’ll get some crooked eyes when you go out in public with your old fashioned stuff. Samantha always brought her dog Jip along, the puppy had also been a gift from someone back in time, and he ran beside Samantha on her bike.   
Nellie didn’t have a bike like Samantha. Or roller skates like Molly. Or a skateboard like Parker. Or horses like Felicity. Or a rocket powered jet pack like Glogan. Or anything really that could help her keep up with Samantha. Nellie often just walked with her dog Coconut. Sometimes she rode on Samantha’s handle bars to their favorite picnic spot by the waterfall. Mostly though, Nellie felt left out whenever Samantha rode her bike.   
Like horses and babies, dogs have their own language too. Felicity may have taught herself to speak horse, but Samantha and Nellie did not know how to speak dog yet. They were working on it, yet time always seemed to slip away from them in their busy schedules. Their mastery of dog language was always the first to be thrown out the window when the busyness of the family took over. It was on such a lovely Saturday as Samantha and Nellie were preparing for a day in the park when Jip and Coconut were talking to each other behind their owners backs.   
“Have you noticed something about Nellie?” Coconut barked to Jip.   
Jip yipped back with a shrug. “No? Why, what’s wrong?”   
“She seems melancholy.”  
Jip tried not to laugh at the serious expression on his friend’s face. “Since when do you use words like melancholy?”  
“Since I bought this pocket dictionary of dog to human words so I can teach myself to speak person.”  
Jip had heard of humans speaking dog, but he had never heard of dogs speaking person. The funny thing about people is that they had the ability to learn any language. Most animals, except the wise owl of course, were stuck in their own tongues. They could be taught to understand what humans were saying, yet they physically could not utter the sounds. “Is that even possible?”  
Coconut nodded solemnly. “I’m going to be the first one to do it.”  
“Good luck with that,” said Jip suddenly interested in tracking a scent across the room.   
Much to Jip’s dismay, Coconut followed. “Back to Nellie. I don’t know quite how to describe it-----”  
“Surely there’s a word in that dictionary of yours.”  
Coconut growled in frustration. “I’m still learning! Anyway, Nellie seems unhappy. Like she’s not content here.”  
“I wouldn’t be happy taking care of those babies either,” said Jip still casually trying to move away from Coconut and this conversation.   
“Look at Samantha,” Coconut countered. They both turned to stare at Jip’s wonderful owner. “She’s blissfully happy taking care of everyone and everything.”  
Jip had to give him that. Samantha seemed to thrive on her role in this family while Nellie seemed to be more forced into it. Coconut saw the light dawn in his friend’s eyes and took it as permission to continue spilling his guts. “Nellie stares out the window all dreamlike with her head in the clouds. I mean, she didn’t even notice the squirrel!”  
“Most people don’t,” Jip informed Coconut.   
“Oh, but you didn’t see this squirrel! It had a tail the size of------”  
“Nellie!” Jip barked.   
“I know! I can’t believe she wouldn’t pay attention to-----”  
“No,” said Jip. “I mean, Nellie is leaving!”  
“Huh?” Both dogs whirled their heads around to see Nellie storming out of the Playroom without her friend Samantha. “That’s odd,” muttered Jip.   
“What is?” asked Coconut.  
“Samantha is still here.”   
“Coconut!” Nellie called. “Come!”  
“Gotta run.” Coconut chased after his master.   
Jip’s wagging tail drooped. He turned to see Samantha crumple to the floor. He bounded over to her and began licking her face. He may not have known how to speak human with a fancy dictionary like Coconut, but he knew when his owner needed comfort. Samantha giggled and pushed the dog away muttering, “Stop it!” which he interpreted as “More kisses!” and then she buried her face in his fur. “Oh, Jip, what are we going to do without them?” This Jip did understand and he howled mournfully.  
Nellie stood at the far end of the park near the edge of the Black Forest. Shadows curled around her toes lapping against the line of total sun in the park’s clearing. No one from Play Road, not even Felicity, had ever gone into Black Forest. It was that horrible. Of course it was surrounded by local myth and legend most of which was a mix of misreported history and bed time stories meant to scare the living daylights out of naughty kids. Basically, all the stories about Black Forest stated that whoever goes in never comes out alive.   
Nellie, in her upset anger over feeling misunderstood like she doesn’t belong with this random bunch of adopted time travelers, decided to do something rash and charge in there regardless of what the stories said. She ignored the fear welling up inside. Nellie O’Malley was determined to be her own individual person, live her own adventure, and do something so crazy dramatic she would be the town hero for years to come. Besides, maybe handsome prince charming lived in this forest and it was her duty to rescue him. Yes, definitely any good law abiding citizen’s duty to save Mr. Hunk whoever he may be. With a shudder, she tried not to think of all the things she would be far more likely to encounter.   
Nellie took one tentative step forward. Coconut wouldn’t budge. She yanked on the leash. The dog whimpered and tried to back away from the forest. “Come on you useless mutt! You are coming with me whether you like it or not!”   
Coconut used his left paw to whip out the dictionary from the pocket of his fur coat. He began flipping pages with his tongue trying in vain to understand what his master was saying.   
“Oh, for the love of-------” Nellie growled in frustration. She ripped the dictionary out of his paw and tossed it into the malevolent forest. Without thinking, Coconut chased after it. Nellie soared past him and kept running deeper into the Black Forest. Poor Coconut had no choice but to follow. There was no way he would let her do this alone without his protection. Or maybe he followed more out of a fear of being left behind. Either way Coconut was too frightened to howl as spooky shadows of dead tree branches creaked overhead.   
Breathless, Nellie paused at the mouth of a cave. “Coconut?” The dog cowered behind her skirt. She took a tentative step forward.   
Coconut began barking violently. “You don’t mean we’re going in there?!”  
“Shh!” Nellie hissed. “You want to wake up whatever’s in there?”  
Coconut blinked in confusion desperately wishing he still had his dictionary. A loud roar echoed in the cave. Coconut bolted into the woods. Nellie plugged her ears, fear rooting her feet in place. “Fee fi foo fum, I smell puny human!”   
Nellie screamed as a monster emerged from the cave. He towered over her on two feet like a giant. Shaggy black fur covered every inch of his body. Claws, paws, fangs, scales, insect legs, webbed feet, shark teeth and everything else that’s classic monster mashed into one body to create the most wretched thing Nellie has ever laid eyes on. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you it’s impolite to stare?” the creature asked crocking his head at her.   
“Who are you?”  
The monster sighed. “I’m a monster, what does it look like?”  
“No, I mean what’s your name?” Nellie bobbed a curtsy. “I’m Nellie O’Malley.”   
“My name?! No one’s ever asked me that before! They usually just run away screaming. Very rude.”  
“Well, I’m asking now,” said Nellie trying not to shake in terror.   
“I’m the Boogeyman.”  
“P-pardon?” Nellie couldn’t help it, her lip was quivering. The Boogeyman was a far cry from Prince Charming.   
“You know, the Boogeyman? That terrible creature that lives in the night and eats children who don’t behave. Truth is I eat all children whether they are well mannered or not. Nice kids taste better than mean ones, not as bitter tasting. Yuck! Last meal I had was a boy who punched his own mother in the face. I mean really, who does that? Somebody is getting a lump of coal for Christmas! Or not since those elves had that great coal mine rebellion. Anyway, you’ll taste much sweeter.”   
BURP!!! Nellie’s dress and hair wavered in the moist wind as the creature let out a loud belch. Boogeyman lunged for her. Nellie shrieked and tried to run, but it was hopeless. The monster had her in his clutches and wasn’t letting go. Some adventure this turned out to be.   
Coconut, in fact, had an excellent sense of direction. He ran all the way home to Play Road with his tail between his legs. Woof! Woof! Woof! He pushed the partially open door with his nose and it swung wide to reveal a darkened room. Nobody was home. Great. With a family that big you’d think there’d at least be one person home when you needed them. Coconut skidded as he turned around in a circle. He ran back down Play Road barking even fiercer and calling Jip’s name as he went.   
In the park, Samantha and Jip sat by the waterfall. Samantha’s lip was trembling as tears cascaded down her cheeks. Jip was trying everything he could think of to cheer her up to no avail. “Nellie and I used to picnic here!” She wailed burying her face in her hands. Samantha coped with the stress of taking care of her family by talking out loud. Saturday picnics with Nellie were always a lovely time to chat about everything from Gwen’s new soccer ball to Bitty’s latest cat fight with Bitty. Well, it seemed Nellie had had enough of talking about everything under the sun from Felicity’s latest heroics to Big Dolly’s new eyeball collection, seriously the girl kept them in a jar!   
The idea that Nellie wasn’t satisfied with her life here and didn’t like playing mommy to all their adopted siblings whereas Samantha totally thrived in that role cut Samantha deeply. They were partners, they were a team, and they were in this together. Without Nellie by her side, Samantha would be completely alone in managing that big household of crazy. They needed each other in ways that went way beyond the bounds of regular friendship. You don’t run around the sewage system under the city at midnight searching for runaway Bitty Baby and devious Gwen and Logan while fighting off alligators and other sewer monsters with someone to not agree 100% about punishment for said baby or not grow closer than any other normal kids this age. It was natural for best friends to not see eye to eye once in a while, but this issue was bigger than a little tiff between friends for it affected the very heart and soul of how this family functions. Samantha and Nellie were so close that any disagreement at all felt like the end of the world.   
As Samantha lay near the waterfall sobbing over Nellie’s rejection of her in what should have been a relaxing Saturday picnic, Jip’s ears perked up. Vicious barking roared in the distance as Coconut begged anyone with doggie ears to listen, “HELP! HELP! NELLIE NEEDS HELP! JIP! SAMANTHA! ANYONE! HELP! BOOGEYMAN HAS MY MASTER IN THE BLACK FOREST! HELP!”  
Jip answered back with a loud WOOF to let his friend know where they were and nudged Samantha harshly. “Ow, Jip! What’s the matter with you? Can’t you see I’m mourning the loss of Nellie’s friendship here?”  
“You’ll soon be mourning far more than whatever this stupid fight is about if you don’t hurry up and go to her,” said Jip. Of course Samantha had no idea what he was saying as she never bothered to learn canine. Let this be a lesson to you kids, in this once instance only be like Felicity and always learn the language of your furry friend. Communication is everything.   
Suddenly Coconut came tearing through the clearing barking his head off. Samantha leapt to her feet. Dog and girl were never known to be separated. A cold hand of dread squeezed her heart. “Coconut, where’s Nellie?”  
Coconut screamed, “IN THE BLACK FOREST WITH THE BOOGIE MAN! I JUST TOLD YOU THAT!” Yet to Samantha’s ears it sounded like more barking. Coconut turned around and ran as fast as he could with Samantha and Jip following close behind.   
Suddenly, Samantha squealed on the brakes and stopped nearly toppling forward as she struggled to find her balance. The edge of the Black Forest loomed in front of her. Coconut ran on ahead briefly pausing to turn around and bark at her again. “I can’t go in there,” said Samantha slowly taking a step backwards. “Our adopted moms Jessica and Jackie told us to never go in there!”   
“But Nellie did,” said Jip and shoved her forward.   
Samantha mustered her courage. For Nellie. She would do it for Nellie. Indeed, if Bitty, Logan, Big D., Gwen or any of her adopted siblings had gone in there then she would have raced into danger after them not caring what their moms said. Jackie and Jessica were not here, and they would probably never be here, to rescue them from themselves so it was up to Samantha to get the job done. “I’m coming, Nellie!” She shouted. “Hang on, wherever you are!”  
Samantha followed Coconut and Jip deeper and deeper into the forest, winding along an old beaten path into a place so dark the sun never shines.  
“AHHH!” Samantha heard a girl scream, and her heart froze. That could only be Nellie.   
“Stop struggling, little girl!” Still hidden in the shadows of the trees, Samantha could see a horrible beast holding Nellie high into the air as he opened his jaws wide as if to toss her in and swallow her whole.   
Before she even realized what was happening, Samantha yelled at the top of her lungs in what Felicity called her stern mom voice, “AND JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING, MR?”  
The Boogeyman jumped. “W-who s-said that?”  
Samantha struggled to hide a smile. She didn’t dare venture out for if he saw that she was just another little girl then she would probably become his snack too. “I’M YOU’RE WORST NIGHTMARE!”  
“My worst nightmare?” The creature said in a very high voice. “My worst nightmare is my mom or all mothers in general. You can’t------”  
“OH, BUT I AM. DROP THE GIRL OR ELSE-----” Samantha paused for a moment thinking of a punishment she often used on Glogan----“OR ELSE YOU’RE GROUNDED. NO TV, VIDEO GAMES, OR MAGIC WANDS FOR A MONTH.”  
“A whole month?!” The creature pouted. “And how are you going to make me?”  
“I WILL TELL YOUR MOTHER. SHE’S IN MY BOOK CLUB. I’M SURE SHE’LL BE GLAD TO KNOW THAT HER SON-----”  
“No! You can’t do that!”  
“OH, JUST WATCH ME! I CAN AND I WILL!”  
Then the creature turned to Nellie. “Do you know that voice?”  
Nellie nodded solemnly. “Oh, yes, yes I do. Better than anyone. And she means business.”   
“AND IF YOU EVER DARE EAT ANOTHER HUMAN CHILD AGAIN I WILL PERSONALLY HUNT YOU DOWN AND MAKE YOU GO TO SCHOOL AND-----”  
“NO! Anything but that!” The Boogeyman was reduced to tears.   
“THEN DROP MY DEAR, DEAR, GIRL NELLIE!”  
“Fine, take her.” The Boogeyman threw Nellie to the ground and took off running deeper into the forest.   
Only once she was sure he was out of sight, Samantha rushed forward and helped Nellie to her feet. “Are you alright? I was so worried!”  
“I am now, thanks to you,” said Nellie. “Is the boogeyman’s mother really in your book club?”  
“She is oddly enough. I never believe her when she says who her son is, but I do now! She’s been looking for him for years and she’ll be so happy when I tell her about this. I don’t think he’ll be bothering kids for a good long time.”   
“Well,” said Nellie smiling. “The children of the world should thank you. You just defeated the Boogeyman.”  
Samantha grinned. “Just don’t tell Gwen and Logan. Stories of the Boogeyman are the only thing that can keep them from getting into too much mischief.”  
“I don’t think it’s the boogeyman that scares them.”  
Samantha threw back her head and laughed, delighted that they were best friends again. She linked arms with Nellie as they walked home to Play Road. “I’m sorry I----”  
“No, I’m sorry-----”  
Both dogs yipped for neither one liked listening to the “I’m sorry, no I’m sorry” game. Both girls smiled at their companions and fell into contented silence for a while until Samantha said, “So is everything back to normal or are you still feeling-----”  
“Normal sounds good.”  
“You sure?”  
“Yeah, underneath it all I really do love all you guys and the Play Room. It’s an awesome place to grow up, but I get a little frustrated sometimes----”  
“Who doesn’t?” They both had to chuckle for it was so very true. With a family like theirs, frustration came easily though it was not nearly as sweet as making up afterwards.   
“I’m cured of my need for adventure in the great wide somewhere for now. Everything is back to normal except,” Nellie patted Coconut’s head, “I think we need to learn a foreign language.”


End file.
